Texts
Altus Prosator
Incoming data
Latin hymn
Manuscript witnesses
Text
Dublin, Royal Irish Academy, MS 23 P 16
Heavily glossed. Text with Irish prose introduction. Altus Prosator proper begins on p. 237b
pp. 237a–238a
Text
Dublin, Trinity College, MS 1441
context: Irish Liber hymnorum Heavily glossed. Lacks stanzas 14-21.
ff. 11–13
Text
Dublin, University College, MS Franciscan A 2
context: Irish Liber hymnorum Text with preface and some glosses. The hymn proper begins on p. 3.
pp. 2–8
Sources
Primary sources Text editions and/or modern translations – in whole or in part – along with publications containing additions and corrections, if known. Diplomatic editions, facsimiles and digital image reproductions of the manuscripts are not always listed here but may be found in entries for the relevant manuscripts. For historical purposes, early editions, transcriptions and translations are not excluded, even if their reliability does not meet modern standards.
- Critical editions
[ed.] Blume, Clemens, “Pars altera: Hymnodia Hiberno-Celtica saeculi V.IX.”, in: Clemens Blume [ed.], Die Hymnen des Thesaurus Hymnologicus H. A. Daniels und andere Hymnen-Ausgaben. I. Die Hymnen des 5.-11. Jahrhunderts und die Irisch-Keltische Hymnodie aus den ältesten Quellen, 51, Leipzig: O. R. Reisland, 1908. 257–364.
Internet Archive: <link>
271–283
[ed.] Bernard, J. H., and Robert Atkinson [ed. and tr.], The Irish Liber hymnorum, 2 vols, Henry Bradshaw Society, 13, 14, London: Henry Bradshaw Society, 1898.
comments: Volume 1: Text and introduction
Volume 2: Translation and notes
Manuscripts used, with sigla:
- T = Dublin, Trinity College, MS 1441 = Liber hymnorum (see pp. x-xiii)
- F = Dublin, University College, MS Franciscan A 2 (see pp. xiii-xvi)
- 19th-century copy for Reeves (William) (not used by the editors)
- A = Milan, Biblioteca Ambrosiana, MS C 5 inf = Antiphonary of Bangor
- B = Dublin, Royal Irish Academy, MS 23 P 16 = Leabhar Breac
- C = Cambridge, University Library, MS Ll.1.10 = Book of Cerne
- D = London, British Library, MS Harley 7653
- E = Montpellier, École de Médecine, MS 218
- G = St. Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, MS 2
- H = St. Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, MS 577
- I = Orléans, Bibliothèque municipale, MS 169 (146)
- J = London, British Library, MS Royal 2 A xx
- K = cxcv / St. Paul im Lavanttal, Stiftsbibliothek, MS 86a/1 (one folio in Karlsruhe)
- L = Cork, University College, Book of Lismore
- M = Milan, Biblioteca Ambrosiana, MS M 32 4
- N = London, British Library, MS Harley 2965 = Book of Nunnaminster
- O = Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Rawlinson B 514 (copy of O'Donnell's Beatha Choluim Chille)
- P = Basel, University Library, MS A vii 3 (a Greek psalter)
- Q = Dublin, University College, MS Franciscan A 8(?) (another copy of O'Donnell's Life)
- R = ccxxi / St. Paul im Lavanttal, Stiftsbibliothek, MS 86a/1
- S = Dublin, Royal Irish Academy, MS D ii 3 = Stowe Missal
- V = Vatican City, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, MS Pal. lat. 482
- W = Dublin, Trinity College, MS 80 = Antiphonary of Kilmoone
- X = Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Laud Misc. 615
- Y = Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Rawlinson B 505
- Z = Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Rawlinson B 485
- Δ = Cologne MS (formerly at Darmstadt)
- Θ = Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Rawlinson B 512
- Π = Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, MS Clm 18665
- Σ = Cambridge, St John's College, MS C 9 = Southampton Psalter
- Ψ = London, British Library, MS Harley 585
Internet Archive – vol. 1: <link>, <link>, <link> Internet Archive – vol. 2: <link>, <link>
Vol. 1, 62–65 (preface), 66–83 (hymn) Edition based primarily on the Irish manuscripts. direct link direct link
- Editions from single manuscripts
[ed.] Riefferschied, A. [ed.], “Die Ambrosianische Bibliothek in Mailand”, Sitzungsberichte der kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften, phil-hist. Klasse 67 (1871): 467–568.
544–546 Text from Biblioteca Ambrosiana, MS M 32 sup.
[ed.] Boucherie, A., “Mélanges latins et bas latins”, Revue des langues Romanes, 3rd series, 7 (1875): 5–41.
12–26 ‘Hymne abécédaire contre les antitrinitaires’, text from Montpellier, École de Médecine, MS 218.
[ed.] Gilbert, John T. [ed.], Facsimiles of national manuscripts of Ireland, 5 vols, Dublin: Public Record Office of Ireland, 1874–1884.
Four parts in five volumes; photozincographed “by command of Her Majesty Queen Victoria by Major-General Sir Henry James” (d. 1877), who was director-general of the Ordnance Survey; vols 2–4 have imprint “selected and edited [by Gilbert] under the direction of the Right Hon. Edward Sullivan, Master of the Rolls in Ireland”.
Vol. 4.2 (1884), 131–133 (Appendix XXI). Text from Franciscan A 2.
[ed.] Ó Longáin, Joseph, J. J. Gilbert [eds], Eugene OʼCurry, and Brian OʼLooney [co-authors], Leabhar Breac, the Speckled Book, otherwise styled Leabhar Mór Dúna Doighre, the Great Book of Dun Doighre, 2 vols, Dublin: Royal Irish Academy, 1872–1876. Lithographic facsimile edition of a transcript made by Joseph Ó Longáin.
[ed.] Todd, James Henthorn, Leabhar imuinn: the Book of Hymns of the ancient Irish Church, 2 vols, Dublin: Irish Archaeological and Celtic Society, 1855–1869.
Internet Archive – fasc. 1 and 2: <link> Internet Archive – fasc. 1: <link> Internet Archive – fasc. 2: <link> Digitale-sammlungen.de – fasc. 1: <link> Digitale-sammlungen.de – fasc. 1: View in Mirador
Vol. 2, 201–251 Text from TCD 1441.
[ed.] Muir, Bernard James [ed.], A pre-Conquest English prayer-book (BL MSS Cotton Galba A.xiv and Nero A.ii (ff. 3-13)), Henry Bradshaw Society, 103, Woodbridge: Boydell Press, 1988.
32–39 Text from Cotton Galba A xiv.
- Translations
[tr.] Carey, John, King of Mysteries: early Irish religious writings, 2nd ed., Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2000.
29–50, 275
[tr.] Clancy, Thomas Owen (ed.), The triumph tree: Scotland's earliest poetry AD 550–1350, Canongate Classics, 86, Edinburgh: Canongate, 1999.
Translations, with notes. Latin texts translated by Gilbert Márkus, Welsh texts by Joseph P. Clancy, Gaelic and Old English texts by Thomas Owen Clancy, Norse texts by Paul Bibire and Judith Jesch.
95–99
[tr.] Clancy, Thomas Owen, and Gilbert Márkus, Iona: the earliest poetry of a Celtic monastery, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1995.
[tr.] Bernard, J. H., and Robert Atkinson [ed. and tr.], The Irish Liber hymnorum, 2 vols, Henry Bradshaw Society, 13, 14, London: Henry Bradshaw Society, 1898.
comments: Volume 1: Text and introduction
Volume 2: Translation and notes
Manuscripts used, with sigla:
- T = Dublin, Trinity College, MS 1441 = Liber hymnorum (see pp. x-xiii)
- F = Dublin, University College, MS Franciscan A 2 (see pp. xiii-xvi)
- 19th-century copy for Reeves (William) (not used by the editors)
- A = Milan, Biblioteca Ambrosiana, MS C 5 inf = Antiphonary of Bangor
- B = Dublin, Royal Irish Academy, MS 23 P 16 = Leabhar Breac
- C = Cambridge, University Library, MS Ll.1.10 = Book of Cerne
- D = London, British Library, MS Harley 7653
- E = Montpellier, École de Médecine, MS 218
- G = St. Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, MS 2
- H = St. Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, MS 577
- I = Orléans, Bibliothèque municipale, MS 169 (146)
- J = London, British Library, MS Royal 2 A xx
- K = cxcv / St. Paul im Lavanttal, Stiftsbibliothek, MS 86a/1 (one folio in Karlsruhe)
- L = Cork, University College, Book of Lismore
- M = Milan, Biblioteca Ambrosiana, MS M 32 4
- N = London, British Library, MS Harley 2965 = Book of Nunnaminster
- O = Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Rawlinson B 514 (copy of O'Donnell's Beatha Choluim Chille)
- P = Basel, University Library, MS A vii 3 (a Greek psalter)
- Q = Dublin, University College, MS Franciscan A 8(?) (another copy of O'Donnell's Life)
- R = ccxxi / St. Paul im Lavanttal, Stiftsbibliothek, MS 86a/1
- S = Dublin, Royal Irish Academy, MS D ii 3 = Stowe Missal
- V = Vatican City, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, MS Pal. lat. 482
- W = Dublin, Trinity College, MS 80 = Antiphonary of Kilmoone
- X = Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Laud Misc. 615
- Y = Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Rawlinson B 505
- Z = Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Rawlinson B 485
- Δ = Cologne MS (formerly at Darmstadt)
- Θ = Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Rawlinson B 512
- Π = Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, MS Clm 18665
- Σ = Cambridge, St John's College, MS C 9 = Southampton Psalter
- Ψ = London, British Library, MS Harley 585
Internet Archive – vol. 1: <link>, <link>, <link> Internet Archive – vol. 2: <link>, <link>
Vol. 2, 23–26, 140–153 Translation of Irish preface and glosses only, with notes direct link direct link
Secondary sources (select)
Stevenson, Jane, “Altus Prosator”, Celtica 23 (1999): 326–368.
Celtica – PDF: <link>
Wesseling, Margaret, “Structure and image in the Altus Prosator: Columba's symmetrical universe”, Proceedings of the Harvard Celtic Colloquium 8 (1988): 46–57.
